Constantly Stamping

Global Design Project: GDP273 Color Challenge

All the Christmas decorations have been put away, our family survived Covid 19, 2020 is finally over, and I am looking forward to a promising new year.  This week at the Global Design Project blog we are kicking off 2021 with a great new color challenge.

I love using designer series paper when I can, but for this challenge, I decided to create my own background using stamps, ink, paper, and Stampin' Blends. I wanted to be true to the challenge and I didn't have anything else that would give me the romantic look that I was looking for.  The Fancy Phrases stamp set (#152530) is perfect for this project. I also used it to stamp the sentiment.

Most of my projects lately have been very dimensional, so it was a bit of a challenge to create a more traditional card.

To create this beautiful embossed heart, I die cut two hearts...one in Soft Sea Foam cardstock and the other in Whisper White using the Stitched Be Mine die set (#151814). I embossed the inside portion of the Whisper White heart using the Parisian Flourish 3D Embossing Folder (#151474). Here's a little tip: Turn the heart about 35-45 degrees in the folder to give the embossed design a less "formal" look.

To finish off the card, I stamped some additional flowers/leaves using the All Things Fabulous stamps and coordinating dies (#154112). I also added a few Clear Rhinestone Basic Jewels (#144220) for some sparkle. And, of course, it wouldn't be complete without some Linen Thread. I love that this card can be used for Valentine's Day but that it is good for other occasions too.

Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this great color challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

Have a blessed day!

Global Design Project: GDP271 Theme Challenge

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog! With Christmas just around the corner, this week's challenge at Global Design Project is Winter/Holiday.

I try not to use thick embellishments on my cards because it makes it difficult to send them through the mail. I knew I would find just the right project to use this flower on, and this challenge is the perfect opportunity. A gift box is a great way to showcase this gorgeous flower without worrying whether it will be destroyed in the mail.

First, let's talk about the box. I made a basic box with the following dimensions. (Bottom: 8" square Basic Black cardstock scored on each side at 2". Top: 6" square of Plaid Tidings DSP (#153527) scored on each side at 1".) This black and white plaid paper gives the project a modern farmhouse feel that is really trendy right now. If you want something more traditional, the reverse side of this dsp is perfect for you. This paper collection has a great variety of colors and has something for just about every season. If you are new to box making or you need a refresher, here is a link to a really good box tutorial by Stampin' Up! Some of the products in the video are retired, but the idea is still the same.

Now let's talk about the flower. I made this poinsettia a few weeks ago while I was working on this tag. I like to make flowers in batches so I have them ready to go. I used Real Red cardstock and die cut two of each flower layer using the Poinsettia Dies (#153522) that are part of the Poinsettia Petals Bundle in the Holiday Mini Catalog. Each petal has Early Espresso ink sponged on the edges with a dauber. I honestly wasn't sure if I liked it at first, but once I added the Shimmery White Embossing Paste (#145645), I knew it was a good choice. In addition, all of the greenery is cut with the same die set.

These gorgeous bells are just the perfect finishing touch. They are cut from Silver Foil Cardstock using the Sounds of the Season Dies (#154043). Everything on this project is timeless and is destined for my permanent craft collection.

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fabulous challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a Stampin' Up! demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here and have it sent directly to your home. Thank you for your business!

Global Design Project: GDP270 Sketch Challenge

It is sketch week at Global Design Project. This one is asymmetrical so it is a bit more of a challenge to find the right balance. It is interesting to see all the different styles of cards made by our GDP team. For me, I had several of the elements for my card already on my desk so it was a matter of just finding the right pieces. (Hint: I have an upcoming project using these same products coming to the Stampin' Fancy Friday challenge on December 16th, so be watching for that on Facebook & Instagram.)

At the foundation of this 3"x6" card is the Most Wonderful Time Product Medley (#150705) or you can just use the Refill Kit (#151270) found on page 7 of the Holiday Mini Catalog. I paired it with the Wishes and Wonder Bundle (#155151) of coordinating stamps and dies on page 32 of the Holiday Mini Catalog.

There is a lot of layering going on here. I stamped the greeting in Old Olive ink on Whisper White cardstock and the sleigh is stamped with VersaMark ink on Real Red cardstock and then heat embossed with white embossing powder. I also stamped and embossed the sprig of greenery on Old Olive cardstock. The coordinating dies make cutting all the pieces easy.

The flower is cut with the Poinsettia Dies (#153522) and I added an adhesive-backed Wonderful Gem in clear/gold (#153536) for the flower center.

I love this deer from the North Pole Wonder Dies (#153523) cut from Brushed Metallic Gold Cardstock (#153524).

We would love to have you play along with us this week. Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this fun challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

Global Design Project: GDP269 Color Challenge

This week at the Global Design Project blog we have a color challenge that is perfect for Christmas. You really can't get more traditional than this.

I am fascinated with the look of mixed media but it isn't something I would want to make every day. I follow a few different mixed media artists on youTube, and for the most part, they use products that are pre-made to create their projects. That is great, but I really don't want to purchase a completely different set of items that I may never use, so, for my project, I used the Stampin' Up! products that I already had on hand.

The other thing about mixed media is that it tends to be very 3-dimensional, so using it for cards can create a whole different set of problems. But mixed media on tags and boxes are an entirely different thing. To make my tag for this color challenge I primarily used the products from the Poinsettia Petals Bundle (#144148) along with a few other things.

There is no denying that the focal point of this project is the flowers and they were definitely the most time-consuming, so let's begin there. I die cut several different sizes of flowers and holly leaves from watercolor paper. I sponged Real Red ink on the flower centers and Garden Green and Just Jade ink on the leaves. I put a piece of scrap paper on top of a Stampin' Pierce Mat (#126199) and placed the colored side of the flowers face down. I misted the back of the flowers (and leaves) with water and let it soak in for about a minute. Then I used the rounded cap on the Take Your Pick Tool (#144107) to shape the petals. Next, I turned the flowers over and pushed down the centers. After the flowers were completely dry I assembled them using hot glue.  I used the clear/gold Wonderful Gems (#153536) as flower centers and then used my fingers to rub Shimmery White Embossing Paste (#145645) all over the flowers and leaves. This is really messy but definitely worth the extra step. After I thoroughly washed my hands, I set everything aside to dry while I finished the rest of the tag.

 

For the tag I used a 3" x 5.5" piece of Real Red cardstock and snipped off the top corners at an angle. I used Real Red ink to stamp the poinsettia and holly leaf all over the background. Next, I sponged both colors of green ink onto the white side of a wreath from the Forever Gold Laser-Cut Specialty Paper (#152493) and attached it to the center of the tag. I added a piece of Metallic Mesh Ribbon (#153550) and then used hot glue to add the flowers to the tag. I die cut some sprigs from white glitter paper (retired) and tucked them in behind the flowers. Finally, I used the Joy Dies (#153530) to cut the sentiment using white glitter paper for the word and Just Jade cardstock for the background layer.

Be sure to check out what the other talented designers/players have created for this great color challenge at the Global Design Project Challenge Blog.

I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR STAMPIN' UP! DEMONSTRATOR

If you are in the United States and need a demonstrator, then you can order your supplies in my online store here.

Have a blessed day!